Door-mat



(No Model.) I

A. JOHNSON 8v P. LRSSONI DOOR. MAT. No. 383,132. Paten'tied May 22, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEIcE.

AXEL JOHNSON AND PEHR LARSSON, OF CHlCAGO, lLLlNOIS.

DOOReIVIAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 383,132, dated May 22, 18188.

(No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that we, AXEL JoHNsON and PEER LARssoN, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Door-Mat, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specication.

Our invention relates to that class of doormats in which a series of bars are arranged parallel to each other, with their upper edges in the same plane and secured together so as to present these edges to the foot to remove mud or other foreign substances therefrom.

The object of our improvements is the production of a door-n1at more flexible than the solidly-riveted grating would be, and one capable of being rolled or bundled together for transportation, or for packing away when not in use.

In the drawings accompanying this specification, Figure l is a plan view of a rectangular-shaped mat embodying thefeatures of our invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a semicircular mat capable of being folded one wing over the other to occupy less space and to fa` cilitate cleaning from underit. Fig. 3 is au end perspective view of parts of three of the bars of the mat shown in Fig. l as they appear when the mat is partially rolled. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line @c x of Fig. 1, showing the IieXible woven wire which binds the bars together and the rubber washers or sleeves which maintain them in their relative positions. Fig. 5 is an end View of the complete niat shown in Fig. l rolled ready for transportation or for packing away.

Like letters throughout the several views indicate similar parts.

I am aware that previous to this invention wooden mats have been constructed of bars or slats united together by flexible woven wires, the slats being held apart by rubber washers strung on the wires. It has been the custom to place a set of these wires and washers at each end of the mat, leaving a few inches of each slat to project over. These jagged ends are not only liable to be broken off at the weak point, where the wire passes through the slats, but in addition present teeth-like surfaces, which are apt to injure soft material-such as overshoes are made of-mand otherwise offer obj ectionable features. The wooden mat-s so constructed, while being superior tomany others, are not durable, and the sharp scraping-edges are quickly destroyed, rendering the mat useless. A metallic mat constructed ou the same principles as the wooden mat has superior scrapingedges; but the objection to the jagged ends when the mat is made of wood is intensi tied when the mat is made of metal. Theslats being much thinner, sharp knife-like ends are presented. This is not admissible. Mats have sometimes been constructed in which cross-bars were riveted tixedly to the ends. This plan is objectionable, inasmuch as it entirely destroys the elasticity so necessary to a perfect mat, and also renders it incapable of being rolled as desired. In our improved door-mat these defects are overcome and a strong and durable mat produced.

By reference to Fig. l it will be seen that the mat consists of parallel metallic bars A A, preferably of about oneteuth inch in thick,- ness. Tbese bars at their ends are turned at approximately right angles and fitted each over the ends of the corresponding bars next to them, a recessed end, a, being formed by giving the bent end a double bend, so that when fitted together the ends will alll lie in the same straight line. A rivet, B, is inserted at the end of the bent portion ce and joins it to its neighbor in such a manner as to allow a free hinging motion between them.

of the corners ot' the mat the last bar is re` versed and hinged to the outside of the end a2 with the second outward turn, a', common to the other bars, the bent end ai of the bar A consequently lying in the same line with the ends a a of the other bars, a square corner being thus formed and the symmetry of the mat maintained. Thesecoud bar, A, is made shorter than the other bars and pivots on the same rivet common to the bars A and A3.

At suitable intervals, in proportion to the length of the mat, through holes drilled or punched in the bars, is passed a flexible fastening, C, preferably of woven wire and riveted or otherwise secured in the outside bars. Upon this wire are strung washers of rubber or other resilient material in such state of compression that they maintain, with the aid of the end fastenings, the bars in a proper up- To preserve the proper rectangular contour4 of the third bar, A3, which is not provided IOO right position, at the same time permitting a certain amount of elastic play of the bars, which assists them materially to do effective work, and also prevents, by the disturbance to which the surface of the bars is subject by the springing action,the material scraped from the shoe from clinging to the bars, the bars being in fact self-cleansing.

In Fig. 4 the position of the various parts of the mat will be seen when it is rolled. The washers D are compressed by the bars between which they lie and permit the bars to change their relative position to each other, hinging each on its respective rivet.

The mat, it will be observed by reference to Fig. 5, may be rolled up into a very small compass and there secured in convenient form.

Not infrequently a mat of semieircnlar form is desired for a specialsituation. To provide for this we have designed one of the construelion shown in Fig. 2, which embodies the principles of our invention as closely as they may possibly be applied to this shaped mat. The mat as here shown is made of two wings, E'and F, the semicircular bars G G being in halves hinged to each other at the center by a rigid rod, H, on which are strung the usual spring washers. lt will readily be seen that either wing may be laid back on the other and the mat be caused to occupy but one-half the space, while the surfaceon which the raised wing was lying can be cleaned land the wing then replaced and the other treated in a similar manner. For a mat of several feet in diameter this will be found to be a great convenience and to save considerable labor of handling. If a still further division of the mat is desired, the wings may each be divided upon the brace-rivets l and J. This mat is provided throughout with the usual springwasher, and has the merit of elasticity due to such washers. The end bars in this ease are rigid, the requisite flexibility and capacity for folding` being obtained at the joint H or at the joints H, I, and J. A

It is obvious that a rectangular shape may be given the mat shown in Fig. 2 by carrying 5o turn instead ofthe circular shape ofthe bars G.

Having thus described our invention, what weclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As a new article of manufacture, a doormat formed of approximately parallel bars, the ends of each bar being integral with the bar and being bent at approximately right angles and pivoted to the ends of its neighboring bar to permit of the mat being rolled, substantially as specified.

2. A door-mat formed of approximately parallel bars, they ends of each bar being bent at approximately right angles to the main `bar to form a recess fortheends of its neighboring bar to lie in, and then bent outwardly and again at right angles tothe main bar to lie within the recess of the bar next before it, to Whiehit is pivoted, for the purpose of permitting the mat to be rolled while maintaining the ends of all the bars in the same plane, substantially as described.

3. In a door-mat formed of approximately parallel bars, the ends of each bar being bent at approximately right angles and pivoted to the ends of its neighboring bar, substantially as shown, the combination of said bars with one or more iiexible fastenings, C, of woven wire or analogous material by which the bars are held together, and washers of resilient material upon the said rivets, whereby the bars are maintained in their position, but permitting the mat to be rolled, substantially as specified.

4. In a door-mat formed of approximately parallel bars, the ends of each bar being bent atapproximately right angles to the main bar and pivoted to the ends of its neighboring bar to permit of the mat being rolled, the combination of the bars A', A2, and A3, the ends of each being formed as described, and all pivoted to the same rivet, substantially as specified.

In witness whereof we hereunto subscribe our naines this 17th day of December, A. D. 1887.

AXEL JOHNSON. PEHR LARSSON.

Vitnesses:

Cit-ras. L. BARTLETT, A O. W. DAVENPORT. 

